Billy and Franklin Graham appear to be the Real Thing, IMHO...I really like listening to them...

Although I am a christian (got saved in the corp my fish year) this board is so devisive that some on here would proabley say JESUS was just in it for the money. Joel Osteen is a wonderful man of God regardless of where he lives or what car he drives or what plane he flies around in.

His dad preached the gospel for 50+ years and raised a Godly family that Joel happened to be the youngest son I believe. His dad laid the foundation and now Joel is really growing that church! Are you so caught up on an area of faith that you dont understand that you must make fun of it. (Prosperity or name it and claim ...blab it and grab it...lol) Open up your own Bible and see what God has to say to you.

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Although I am a christian (got saved in the corp my fish year) this board is so devisive that some on here would proabley say JESUS was just in it for the money. Joel Osteen is a wonderful man of God regardless of where he lives or what car he drives or what plane he flies around in.

His dad preached the gospel for 50+ years and raised a Godly family that Joel happened to be the youngest son I believe. His dad laid the foundation and now Joel is really growing that church! Are you so caught up on an area of faith that you dont understand that you must make fun of it. (Prosperity or name it and claim ...blab it and grab it...lol) Open up your own Bible and see what God has to say to you.

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Wow, where do I start...
1. Don't think anyone at this forum thinks Jesus was in it for the money.
2. J. Olsteen can drive whatever car and fly in whatever plane. Neither proves he is ungodly or godly.
3. If you want to start another thread relating to the name-it-and-claim-it or gab-it-and-grab-it, or even better the you will be healed if you just have the faith, or better yet, plant a seed of 100$ in my ministry and God will return it 10fold, do so. You will find that many of us actually take the whole New Testament in context, not just a few scriptures that please our flesh and justify our own greed.

Simply put, he is shallow and only loosly biblical.

Aggie Irrigation:

If JOEL is growing that church, therein lies the problem.

If GOD is growing that church, then we have nothing to worry about.

Joel’s prosperity gospel has the entertainment value and feel good ending of the Star Wars’ “May the force be with you” and I’d just about as well see one as the other. Star Wars drew a bigger crowd this week than Joel’s sermons, so does that mean God’s force is with George Lucas too?

Maybe Joel tells them to "search your feelings".

I'm not going to judge this guy's heart. However, I think he preaches the way he does to reach out to a part of the community that probably would not feel welcome a many other churches. These are maybe people who have led rough lives. (I am not talking about the entire congregation.) These people may show up to church in something that other churches might consider inappropriate. He may be preaching "Jesus-light" but maybe that's all some of his congregation can handle right now? People who have been judged harshly all their lives probably aren't going to do well in a church that judges them.

My problem with this idea, even if it is true, is that it is unbiblical. Jesus did go among sinners, and He took a lot of flack for His crowd, His methods, and His words, BUT, He never watered down the truth to make it more palatable to His audience.

If that is what Olsteen is doing, then regardless of his motive$, then he is wrong.

Agreed -- just go look at what Jesus said. He mentions hell more than any other person in the New Testament.

Also -- If a congregation is speaking the word of God then THEY aren't judging -- it is the word of God judging them.

77, Amen, bro.

Came across this quote on another forum and found it enlightening.

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I can't stomach most of them, however, there is this one guy who has a slammin church somewhere over in Texas, and he broadcasts a couple times a week. If I happen to catch him, I enjoy his sermons, they are almost always great stories. Every one he tells is truly inspirational, highly entertaining,and quite honestly the focus is less on God and more about how you can make your life easier. I wish I could remember who it was, I would invite you to watch him sometime.

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Jesus drew great crowds, huge pressing crowds, spoke the word and those same crowds often tried to lynch him or simply turned away because the teaching was hard.

Re: John 6

Joel I believe would rather keep the crowds, just like Max Lucado broadens his appeal. Now both of them have said many right things, but that is not the point.

I saw Joel Osteen interviewed by Larry King the other night. When Larry asked him his position on homosexual marriage and abortion, Joel said - "I just don't go there".

Shouldn't he be taking a biblical stand on these issues?

Joel, will not offend anyone with the Word of God. He's making too much money right now with his soft sweet voice.

I admire the moral stands the Catholic church makes!

Agreed -- He said he doesn't talk about sin. Are we not told to preach the "whole council" of God? Are we not told to "reprove" and "rebuke"?

He did say one thing I couldn't believe. He said we had a free-will. I was completely shocked (pleasantly) that he said that. Coming from someone like him I would completely expect the non-free-will thing.

He has good points, but is way off base on many things. Not talking about sin is one of them.

However, if he preached the truth he wouldn't be making all that money because not everyone would like him. Since he doesn't preach the truth he doesn't offend anyone, and has millions.

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He did say one thing I couldn't believe. He said we had a free-will. I was completely shocked (pleasantly) that he said that. Coming from someone like him I would completely expect the non-free-will thing.

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Why would you say something like that? Didn't you say that he did not preach the truth?

Does part of the truth = the whole council of God.

Love your neighbor as yourself -- that is the truth -- but not the whole council of God.

Oh yeah -- I remember what else I heard which was messed up.

King asked why has "your church" been so successful.
Joey said "we have changed with the times...".

What does that mean Joe? Do you not preach against sin -- that would be a change with the times.

It is quite a show on Sunday morning, something of a multimedia assult.